Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Butylated Hydroxytoluene in Modified Powdered Milk.

A method to determine butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in modified powdered milk was established. After solvent extraction of fat from powdered milk, BHT was analyzed by gas chromatography. Recovery of BHT from the sample was 89.2% at 10 ppm of spiking, the detection limit being 0.1 ppm. Then an investigation was carried out on the BHT content of modified powdered milk for infants manufactured in Japan. The products manufactured to the end of 1977 contained 0.25-0.40 ppm of BHT. Throughout 1978, a campaign was carried out to avoid contact with plastics during production and manufacture; results were fruitful and the products in the first half of 1979 were quite free of BHT.